Comparisons of authors writing

[biodroid]

I am currently reading Brent Weeks Beyond the Shadows (book 3 of the Night Angel series) and I have come to the conclusion that even though the story is good the writing isn't as good as when I started reading the previous books. I think it boils down to reading Joe Abercrombie before and really liking the tight prose and great characterizations that Weeks's books just seem weak (no pun intended). I don't have a problem with the story I just have a problem his prose, I am beginning to find it a bit annoying.

Did anyone of you guys experience this, maybe not with the same authors but other authors, e.g. like you really thought this author was good but then after reading someone else it just sort went and fizzled out. I will read Brent Weeks books but I will be hoping he improves his prose. Am I just being overly sensitive?

Or is it just the book as a whole, I just can't pin point it properly as to why I am feeling this way about the book.

 

[Boneman]

I find an excellent yardstick to be how much I can remember of a book when time has passed. I did enjoy the Night Angel Trilogy, especially the first book, but it did seem to peter out a little by the third. And I'm afraid the same happened withthe Mistborn series - I read it about a year ago, and now can hardly recall anything but the two main charcters and the coin-jumping. Could be my age... except I recall almost all of Patrick Rothfuss's books, Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and a great deal of Joe Abercrombie's. I could virtually recite the first Dune book... or Shogun (which has multiple pov jumps, which work!)

And it's impossible not to compare authors. But the sheer diversity of the writing can attract different parts of out receptive brains. But beware... I decided to re-read Lustbader's 'Ninja' again recently. I remember loving the sword fights and the main character, but I haven't picked it up for 10 years at least. I was bored... Something in me had changed, my appreciation of the words was different. But I've read sword and warrior stories since that I thought weren't as good, but when viewed against a memory, are actually better. I do like to keep books for ever, and revisiting them really shows how they've held up.

We all have personal preferences - there are those who love worldbuilding in extremis, and those who hate it. That's why we have favourite authors, I 'spose.

 

[Grimbear]

I don't think I compare authors in that way. I read all kinds of things - not just sff - so it's harder to compare anyway. I obviously think some are better writers than others but I am a book junkie and will read almost anything if in the right mood so this never puts me off or irritates me.

What does is when an author is inconsistent or sloppy. If I read a book that I find dissappointing, then I'm much more likley to put it down if it's someone I've read before - esp if I think their standard has slipped, than if it's a new author to me.

I find an excellent yardstick to be how much I can remember of a book when time has passed.

Yep - true


Grim